Mechanical tooth brush



Oct. 12, 1937. B. E. WHITE MECHANICAL TOOTH BRUSH Filed June 26, 1935 BYRON E. WHITE Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATS 2,09595&l

PATENT orie 3 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary tooth brushes and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and efficient tooth brush so constructed as to provide a combination of motion for the 5 brush when operated, whereby the teeth and gums will be vibrated throughout, as well as cleansed.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient rotary tooth 10 brush which is so constructed as to produce a rotary as well as a reciprocating movement for the brush thereby obtaining a four-way brushing action to not only cleanse but to also thoroughly vibrate and stimulate the gums.

15 Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of the brush;

20 Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the brush showing the parts in an extended position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the brush showing the parts in a retracted position; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 25 4-4 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawing it will be seen that [ii designates the casing which consists of an elongated tubular structure tapering toward its outer end opposite the brush supporting portion.

30 This casing i is preferably formed of metal or other suitable material and is closed at its outer end by means of a cap or closure member H. The opposite end of the casing It comprises an integral elongated brush guard l2 which is dished 35 or concavo-convex in cross section, the guard being also tapered toward its outer end, and having a reduced or narrowed neck portion l3.

Bearings 14, I5, and iii are secured within the length of the hollow tubular casing ill, the bear- 40 ing M being mounted near the inner end of the tube, the bearing I5 near the center of the tube, and the bearing l6 being located near the outer end of the casing. The casing I0 is provided with an elongated longitudinally extending slot 45 ll through which a thumb-piece or operating knob l8 extends, this thumb-piece being adapted to slide longitudinally of the slot [1, as will be hereinafter described.

A brush supporting shaft I9 is journaled with- 50 in the bearings l4, l5 and I6 and extends longitudinally of the tubular casing If], as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. A coil spring 20 is wound about one end of the brush supporting shaft I9, and is secured, as at 2|, to

55 the shaft l9, and at its opposite end to the bearing It, as at 22. The shaft l9 carries an elongated tapering brush 23 which fits in close proximity to the guard l2, the bristles of the brush 23 extending within the dished guard l2, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure'3. 5 An operating cord or cable 24 is secured, as at 25, to the brush carrying or supporting shaft l9, and this cable 24 extends through the notch 26 formed in the bearing It and may extend through the notch 21 formed in the bearing l5 as the operating knob I8 is reciprocated or moved longitudinally of the slot H. The cable or cord 24 is secured to the knob 18, as is shown in Figures 2 and 3. This cord or cable 24 is normally coiled about the inner end 28 of the brush supporting shaft H], as is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the thumb-piece or knob i8 is moved longitudinally of the slot ll toward the outer end of the casing ID of the cap I I, the operating cable or cord 24 will move from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3, thereby rotating the shaft l9 in one direction as the cable is uncoiled from the inner end 28 of the shaft l9, and this action will cause the coil spring 20 to be wound about the shaft it, thereby increasing the tension of the spring. As this action occurs, the shaft l9 will also bodily move inwardly of the casing and cause the brush 23 to also move inwardly and longitudinally of 30 the guard l2 from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3. As soon as the knob I8 is released from the thumb of the operator, the coil spring 20 will immediately reverse the rotation of the shaft l9 due to its unwinding action and the shaft l9 will rotate in the opposite direction at the same time coiling the cord or cable 24 around the inner end 28 of the shaft [9, and also causing the shaft l9 to return from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 2. In other words, as the knob I8 is moved toward the cap II, the spring 20 will be compressed and also coil about the shaft I9 increasing its tension and when the knob I8 is released, the spring 20 will expand and also rotate the shaft I9. This action will cause the brush supporting shaft to first rotate in one direction and move inwardly with r spect to the casing 10 and then rotate in the opposite direction at the same time moving outwardly. This will cause the brush to have not only an oscillating action but also a reciprocating movement.

In brushing the teeth the operator may hold the brush by gripping the handle in any suitable or desired manner, but it is preferable to grasp the handle or casing I in the hand between the fingers causing the little finger to coil about the outer end of the handle and the thumb may engage the knob for the purpose of reciprocating the knob within the slot H, as described above. The restricted neck l3 will permit the operator to place the brush in the mouth in contact with the teeth, either against the front face or the rear face of the teeth, and since the guard is cut away or inset with respect to the front face of the casing it), this will allow sufiicient room to bridge over the lips or side of the mouth. The formation of the guard also will tend to prevent injury to the soft portions of the mouth and to avoid the tendency of pinching the inner portion of the cheek between the brush and the guard.

The various parts may, of course, be constructed to suit the particular desire of the manufacturer with respect to design, but it has been found advisable to construct the various portions to allow the shaft to rotate approximately six revolutions as the operating knob i8 is moved the length of the slot in one direction, and six revolutions when the knob is returned to the opposite end of the slot. At the same time the brush will provide a desired thrust for vibrating and improving the circulation of the blood in the roots of the teeth, a proper vibration being obtained not only by the rotation or oscillation of the brush but also through the reciproeating movement of the brush due to the shifting of the brush longitudinally back and forth within the guard.

By having the handle tapered, as defined, the same may be more easily gripped as pressure is brought to bear upon the operating knob by the thumb, since pressure upon the knob will cause the tapering casing or handle to wedge downwardly into the hand while the handle or casing is being gripped. When the brush is in operation and placed in the mouth for brushing or cleansing the inside surface of the teeth, the tongue by engaging the back of the guard will provide sufiicient pressure. When the outside surface of the teeth is being cleansed, the lips will regulate the amount of pressure desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A tooth brush of the class described comprising a casing, a rotating shaft journaled within the casing, a brush head carried by said shaft, a coil spring anchored with respect to the casing at one end and secured at its opposite end to said shaft, a pull cord coiled about one end of said shaft and secured at one end to said shaft, said shaft being mounted for rotatable as Well as reciprocable movement within said casing, and said pull cord being adapted to rotate and bodily move said shaft in one direction within said casing and at the same time cause said spring to coil about to increase its tension and be compressed longitudinally whereby when said pull cord is released said coil spring will automatically unwind for rotating said shaft in the .opposite direction and expand longitudinally for bodily and automatically returning said shaft to its original position.

2. A tooth brush of the class described comprising an elongated tubular casing, an operating shaft journaled within said casing for rotating and reciprocating movement, a brush head carried by said shaft, said casing having a longitudinally extending slot along one side thereof, an operating member slidably mounted within said slot, a pull cord coiled about said operating shaft and secured at one end to said shaft, said pull cord being secured at its opposite end to said operating member and extending longitudinally of the casing and within the casing, guiding means formed at one end of said casing through which said pull cord extends, a coil spring coiled about one end of said shaft and secured at one end to said shaft and anchored at its opposite end with respect to said casing, said pull cord being adapted to rotate and reciprocate said shaft in one direction whereby said coil spring will be compressed longitudinally, and said coil spring being adapted to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction and expand longitudinally for automatically and longitudinally moving said shaft in the opposite direction when said pull cord is released.

3. A tooth brush of the class described comprising a casing, a rotating shaft journaled with in the casing, a brush head carried by said shaft, means connected to said shaft for imparting rotary movement and bodily longitudinal movement of the shaft within the casing in one direction, and means engaging the shaft and casing for automatically rotating the shaft in the opposite direction, and also automatically bodily and longitudinally moving the shaft in its opposite direction.

BYRON E. WHITE. 

